Tuesday, February 03, 2015

If possible, not Jewish' - French job site sets off scandal with anti-Semitic post

A French graphic design company came under heavy criticism after it posted a notice for an available position on its website which included "If possible, not Jewish" as a criterion, French media reported on Tuesday.

Specifying that they sought an "organized, demanding and motivated" employee, NSL Studio seemingly included a preference for non Jews in its service, a request that caused a social media firestorm.

Users of Twitter and Facebook quickly took to their keyboards, chiding the company and expressing revulsion at such blatant bigotry. But NSL Studio denies that it was responsible for the foul post, claiming that they were the victim of hacking and that they "would never have willingly published the advert."

An unrelated French publication, Inrocks Magazine, contradicted NSL Studio's hacking claim however, asserting that they had an insider source who had told them that company elites had made a conscious choice to express their disinterest in Jewish employees because they preferred flexible schedules without religious constrictions.

Graphic Jobs, the website that hosted the post for NSL Studio also quickly distanced itself from the flare-up, calling it "scandalous."

An anti racism NGO called "SOS Racisme", which works on behalf of migrants and minorities in France, launched an investigation into the matter with the help of legal prosecutor.

France has seen a spike in anti-Jewish attacks and sentiment of late, with this anti-Semitic post coming a little less than a month after a deadly shooting at a Kosher Paris supermarket by a gunman affiliated with the Islamic State left 4 dead.